Semaphore



A. DURAN.

SEMAPHORE.

APPLICATION man .IULY 13.1920.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

Z SHEETS SHEET I.

1". 1 H nu IIH IIHILI '41 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

SEMAPHQRL APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1920.

Patented 00%. 31, 1322.

2 SHEETS-SW55? 2- INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Unite 31, 1922.

ARTURO DURAN, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR (ENE-HALF TO JAMES M. DWYEE, 0F DENVEPU, CQLORADO.

SEMAFEURE.

Original application filed July 29, 1919, serial No. 314,065. Divided and this application flied July 13,

1920. Serial 1110. 395,862.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTURO DURAN, a citizen of Mexico, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in semaphores, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a signal for street crossings and the like.

This is a divisional application of my parent application for safety apparatus filed July 29, 1919, Serial No. 314,065, and which was allowed May 17, 1921.

An important object of the invention 1s to provide a signal for a highway and an arrangement of vehicle operated mechanisms or treads associated with the roadway on opposite sides of the signal and laterally of the longitudinal center of the highway, whereby vehicles approaching the signal on the proper side-of the roadway will signal in advance of their approach to the signalling means.

The object of the invention is to so con.- struct such a signal that all of the operating parts will be thoroughly protected against the weather and against tampering by unauthorized persons.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a central vertical section with parts broken out of the semaphore constituting this invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4: is a plan view showing the semaphore streets and connected to be operated by vehicle's traveling on the streets.

The post or semaphore which is designed to be located at the center of a street crossing located at the intersection of twov but may be located at any other desired point, comprises a box-like casing 1 preferably composed of cast iron although not necessarily so and arranged centrally therein is an upstanding tubular post 9 which carries at its upper end a globular member 10 from which radiate arms 11 extending from diametrically opposite points and carrying on their free ends plates or wings 12, two f which are colored green and two red as 1s usual in semaphores or they may have words painted thereon to indicate the condition of the crossing.

The member 10 has mounted on its upper end a lamp housing 13 having four lenses 14 arranged on diametrically opposite sides, two of the opposite disposed lenses being colored red and the other two green to indicate danger or safety. The tubular post 9 which passes through the casing 8 provides for the passage therethrough of electric wires to supply current to an electric lamp or bulb disposed in the casing 13 but which is not shown herein as any other lighting means may be used in the casing if found desirable.

The inner side walls of the casing l are provided at diametrically opposite points with pairs of vertically spaced apertured lugs 15 to receive angularly disposed links 16 which are pivotally mounted between the lugs at their angle, The free ends of these links 16 have engaged therewith coiled springs 17 four of which'are here shown and which areconnected at their other ends with the free ends of similar links 18 and 19 pivoted at their angles to the opposite ends of a pair of arms 20 and 21 carried by a member 2 and fixedly secured thereto.

Mounted on bolts 5 inside the casing 1 are four pulleys 22 around which pass chains 23. These chains 23 also pass around grooves formed in the ends of the arms 20 and 21 and are secured to bolts 24:. These chains 23 pass out through the side walls of the casing 1 into tubes 25 four of which are shown arranged in pairs at diametrically opposite points and which are bolted to the outer wall of the casing 1 as is shown clearly in Figure 3. These tubes 25 extend from the casing 1 toplatforms 35, 36, 37 and 38 mounted at the corners of the street as is shown clearly in Figure 4 the chains 23 passing through said tubes for a purpose presently to be described.

Mounted in the casing 8 at'the upper end of the post 7 is a signalling apparatus here shown in the form of pneumatic whistles 26, four being illustrated herein. These whistles are controlled by the turning of the inner post 9 and are screwed into a casing or pump cylinder 27, two of which cylinders are shown in Figure 2. Two pistons 28 are mounted in each of the cylinders 27 being carried respectively by arcuataplungers 29. These plungers or rods 29 merely abut the free end of arms 30 which radiate from a collar 31 secured to the tube 9 by set screws 32 so that the rotation of said post or tube 9 will operate to turn the arms in one direction or the other.

Coiled springs 33 separate the pistons 28 in each cylinder 27, being compressible when the pistons are brought together for com-.

pressing the air in the cylinders and sounding the whistles.

The post or semaphore is preferably located at the center of the street crossing shown in Figure 4, the casing 1 thereof being located in a pit or hole in the street and is firmly secured therein by any suitable means. When the semaphore is in its normal position, the arms or wings 12 are adapted to point toward the four corners of the street crossing, as clearly shown in Figure 4. The protecting tubes 25 of the chains 23 are located below the surface of the pavement and are connected to the four platforms at the'corners of the streets A and B as is shown clearly in Figure 4. It is to be particularly noted that these platforms or treads are situated solely at one side of each highway from which approach to the intersectron is made, and are arranged entirely laterally of the longitudinal center of the highway so that vehicles movingaway from the intersection and signal will not roll upon the platforms.

These platforms are exactly alike and may be constructed in any desired manner provided they operate when depressed to exert a pull on the chain 23 connected therewith for actuating the semaphore as disclosed in my parent application S. N. 314,065. The use of this invention, when connected to be operated bythe depression of the platform is as follows :-The first vehicle movingtoward the crossing and reachin the crossing first, will -roll upon one of the p atforms causing the same to be depressed or moved downwardly as explained in my above mentioned parent application. This downward movement of the platform will cause a pull on the chain 23 connected thereto which in turn will cause a corresponding movement of the arm of the post to which the chain is connected.

This pull on the arm will operate to turn post 9 and actuate the signals carriedby said p From the above description, it will be obvious that the semaphore which is located at the center of the crossing will indicate the direction which may be traversed with safety.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention together with the device which I now consider to be't'he best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as are within the scope of-the claimed invention.

WVhat-is claimed is 1. A semaphore of the class described comprising a rotatable post, arms radiating therefrom, cables connected with said arms and operable from points remote to rotate the post when a pull is exerted thereon, and means connected with said arms to return the post to initial position.

2. A semaphore including a rotatable post having pneumatic whistles associated therewith and composed of cylinders, pistons mounted in said cylinders, arcuate plungers secured to said pistons, arms secured to said post and abutting the plungers so that the rotation of the post will actuate the pistons to compress air to sound the whistles, and springs for returning the parts to normal position.

3. A signal comprising a rotatable member, signal means carried thereby, a cylinder arranged in proximity to the rotatable member, a piston in said cylinder and having a stem and means carried by said rotatable member for abutment with the stem .to move the same, said cylinder having an audible signal associated therewith whereby air compressed in the cylinder will be used to actuate the audible signal.

4. A signal comprising a rotatable member, having signaling means carried thereby, a pair of cylinders arranged at opposite sides of said member, a pair of piston heads arranged in each cylinder, a spring therein for normally retaining the heads separated, audible signals associated with the cylinders, each piston head having a stem project ng therefrom and adapted to be actuated by said rotatable member, and means for operating said rotatable member.

5. traflic indicator comprising a single signal located adjacent a highway, vehicle operated mechanisms arranged on opposite sides of the signal and situated entirely laterally of the longitudinal center of the highway, and connections between the vehicle eaaoao operated mechanisms and the said signal whereby a vehicle engaging any of the vehicle operated mechanisms will automatically operate the signal.

6. A trafiic indicator comprising a single signal located adjacent a highway, a plurality of vehicle operated mechanisms arranged in spaced relation to each other and to the signal and situated entirely laterally of the longitudinal center of the highway, and connections between the vehicle operated mechanisms and the said signal whereby a vehicle engaging anyone of the vehicle operated mechanisms will automatically operate the signal.

7. A traffic signal comprising a semaphore, said semaphore comprising a rotatable post, and cables fastened to said post and radiating therefrom, and means located at spaced points and connected to said cables whereby the semaphore may be actuated from points remote therefrom.

8. A semaphore comprising a rotatable post, signalling means associated therewith, a plunger for the signal means, and said plunger being actuated to operate the sig nalling means upon movement of the post.

9. A semaphore comprising a rotatable post having oppositely extending arms secured thereto, signalling means carried by the post, a pair of actuating elements secured to each arm and extending in opposite directions for turning the post, a plurality of hell crank levers pivotally connected to the arms and to the casing, and coiled springs connected to the bell cranks on the; arms and to the bell crank on the casing, for automatically returning the post to its normal position.-

10. A semaphore comprising a rotatable post, means for turning the same, signalling means associated with the post, arcuate cylinders situated at opposite sides of the post, a pair of piston heads mounted in each cylinder, means for normally separating the piston heads to retain them in the ends of the cylinders, audible signals communicating with the cylinders, an arcuated piston stem. carried by each piston head, the stems of the piston arranged at opposite sides of the post being extended toward each other, and means carried by the post and disposed between the piston stems whereby turning movement of the post in either direction actuates a piston head in each cylinder for compressing air therein andoperating the audible signal.

In testimony whereof I ai'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTURO DURAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN FERNANDEZ, J. W. Fmzrnrmcn. 

